Bringing the Tiger Back from the Brink—The Six Percent Solution

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Phou Khao Khouay National Protected Area: A Field Survey of Green Peafowl (Pavo Muticus)

This report presents results of a survey of the endangered Green Peafowl (Pavo Muticus) in Phou Khao Khouay (PKK) National Protected Area (NPA), conducted between 28th March to 3rd April, 2015 by participatory teams made of villagers from nearby villages and soldiers from PKK-NPA Management Unit. A three-day training workshop was first provided to the 12 participants, by experienced conservation biologists from the Lao Wildlife Conservation Association (Lao WCA), on basic techniques of Green Peafowl survey and conservation, including the use of navigation tools (compass, GPS, maps) and field data recording. Participants were then divided into six teams of two people to conduct the ground field survey. The target area was divided into 2x2 km-grid cells, and a central point was placed in each to provide a reference for the teams to use as listening posts that were spaced two kilometer apart. Given the current knowledge of presence and distribution of Green Peafowls provided by local villagers and NPA staff, we only focused our field survey on six grid cells (approximate 24 km2 or 240 hectares in area). Listening for bird calls was conducted in the morning between 6:00am to 8:00 am, and the evening between 5:00pm to 6:00pm (peak calls of birds). Teams also walked to search for Green Peafowl signs (feathers, footprint, droppings), mainly nearby the waterholes along streams, in the day time after the completion of listening to bird calls. Listening at each point was made by a team for two consecutive days. This resulted in two mornings’ and two evenings’ observations at each point. Calls were recorded on data forms giving the detailed compass bearings, type of calls (males or females), times and the numbers of calls. Signs of birds were also recorded giving detailed information on GPS coordinates and other related information. Our findings provide clear evidence that the Green Peafowl remains in existence in the PKK-NPA. Of the six listening posts, four recorded Green Peafowl calls, which accounted for a minimum estimate of approximately 8 individuals (or clusters). Other signs of Green Peafowls, e.g., features and footprints, were also recorded by survey teams in two other surveyed grid cells where Green Peafowl calls had not been heard. Given the above findings it is suggested that immediate conservation actions are required to secure a viable population of this last remaining population of Green Peafowl in the Lao PDR. The major threats to the Green Peafowl, e.g., direct hunting, and collecting of its eggs, need to be removed. Participatory anti-poaching teams, made up of villagers and staff from the military’s PKK-NPA conservation unit, should be established and supported to conduct continuous forest patrols, and a public awareness campaign in the target villages are a high priority. It is suggested that a specific regulation for species conservation needs to be developed, and effectively enforced through a participatory approach

Modelling the effects of anti-poaching patrols on wildlife diversity in the Phou Chomvoy Provincial Protected Area

Worldwide, wildlife poaching results in significant losses to biodiversity, especially for those species which are most vulnerable and at risk of extinction. Strategies exist for reducing poaching pressure, including anti-poaching patrols that collect and remove wire snares. Studies are available that focus on the impact of poaching. Yet, not much work evaluates the effectiveness of poaching mitigation actions. We outline a modelling methodology that aims to predict the effectiveness of different management strategies on the poaching problem in the Phou Chomvoy Provincial Protected Area, Bolikhamxay Province, Lao PDR. Wildlife management in the study involves the local community through villager-led anti-poaching patrols. The goal is to develop a quantified relationship between patrol inputs and biodiversity outcomes. The results show that, without patrols, 18 out of the 19 species investigated would be poached and removed from the protected area over the next ten years. At low levels of patrol-effort ten species would survive. With increasing patrol effort, the total number of animals and species saved increase, but with diminishing marginal effect on species count improvement. At the highest patrol-effort management scenario modelled, all species are saved except for one; the Northern Pig-Tailed Macaque, which goes extinct under all management scenarios. This is the first time modelling has been undertaken at this scale to examine poacher-patrol interaction in the Southeast Asia region. Our work shows a positive effect of patrol effort on the number of endangered species saved. This work will be used to inform protected area management policy in Lao PDR, specifically, the development of Payment for Environmental Services schemes